Virus
by I am literally a demon
Summary: Kara should not be judging a book by its cover, especially during an alien fight. Distraction leads to chaos, which leads to a worried sister, a trip to the DEO med bay, and then more chaos.
1. Locked In

A/N: So this is kind of set in season one with season two features. Mon-el doesn't exist, Winn is an agent, Maggie exists, James isn't guardian, and Kara still works as Cat's assistant so that's all that. I haven't written any fanfiction in years, but I just entered this fandom and love it, please enjoy and any criticism is welcome.

All the events to bring her to this moment happened quickly, so quickly she thought she might've been killed for a second. There was a short alien, less than three feet tall, its high pitched growl causing Kara to let her guard drop just a little. She really should've taken it seriously. The alien tackled her, injected her with something to cause all her muscles to go limp, and bled on her, the fabric of her sleeve burning away as her skin absorbed the glowing yellow goo. Alex came, the alien ran, the alien was killed, and she couldn't move, her world turning to panic in a matter of minutes.

"Kara." Alex drops down next to Kara, examining her body for injuries, confused when she sees none. Kara's chest heaves up and down as she stares at her sister in desperation, her eyes wide.

"Kara, I need you to calm down. Can you do that for me?" Alex lifts her hand up, squeezing it. Kara panics more as she feels no sensation in her hand, no sensation anywhere except her lungs and eyes. Alex looks down at Kara's hand, letting it go and watching in horror as it limply lands in the grass beside her.

"J'onn!" Alex calls out, the DEO director sprinting over and sitting next to Alex. Kara looks at the Martian, tears invading her eyes. J'onn's eyes glow red, before fading back to their normal colour.

"She can see us and hear us, but she can't move or feel any sensation," J'onn responds.

"Is she aware?" J'onn nods and Alex looks down a bit.

"Locked-in syndrome." Kara wants to ask questions, wants to hug her sister, wants to stop the overwhelming feeling of panic the longer she can't move her limbs.

"Alright Kara, I need you to look left for no and right for yes, okay?" Kara looks right and then back at Alex.

"Okay, we're going to take you to the DEO and we're going to fix this, okay?" Kara looks right again, her vision becoming blurry due to the unwanted tears. Alex nods reassuringly before placing a kiss on Kara's forehead. J'onn scoops up Kara's limp form, anxiety invading her once again as she loses sight of her sister.

"I'm right here Kara, we're going to the van so we can drive back to the DEO." Kara's breathing relaxes and J'onn places her lying down on one of the black leather seats. Alex smiles above Kara, a sadness and worry in her eyes that Kara doesn't miss.

A few minutes into the ride, Alex's phone rings, the agent hesitating to answer it as she looks at Kara. Kara looks at the source of the sound and then to the right, Alex smiling slightly as she accepts the call.

"Maggie, hey." Kara feels a sense of joy at the sound of her sister's girlfriend's name.

"I can't tonight, there's been an emergency. Kara needs medical care and I know the most about Kryptonian physiology. She's not injured exactly, it's- no you don't have to, we'll be fine." Alex is silenced as Maggie says something on the other side of the call.

"Okay, thanks. Love you. Bye." Alex hangs up and pockets the cell, her eyes wandering back to Kara as she hesitantly grabs ahold of Kara's hand, squeezing it. Kara's eyes widen, there was a faint sensation, so faint she wasn't even sure if it had actually happened or if it was her mind trying to deal with what was going on.

"What?" Kara stares at their hands together, a flicker of understanding crossing Alex's features.

"Can you feel that?" Alex asks, squeezing Kara's hand once again. Kara looks right and Alex smiles, a sigh of relief escaping her mouth.

"That's good, that means this is temporary." Kara feels a few muscles in her face twitch, not enough to form a smile, but enough to relieve her as well.


	2. Silent

Once they arrive at the DEO, Kara is able to twitch multiple muscles, not enough to curl fists or lift arms, but it's still progress. Kara tries to smile as people move her to the gurney, faint feelings of hands bringing her more hope. They quickly rush her off to the med bay, Alex racing behind them before a hand catches her wrist, causing her to spin around and smile at her girlfriend until she sees the expression on her face.

"Maggie, are you okay?" Maggie nods, looking back to where the doctors took Kara.

"She looks strange, she almost looked dead when I saw her, she's so limp, it's just strange." Alex nods, looking at the doors of the med bay as well before pecking Maggie's lips.

"She'll be fine, it seems to be temporary. She almost had a few panic attacks on the way here, which I can understand, it must be terrifying." Maggie nods, a relieved smile spreading across her face upon hearing the good news.

#######################

Kara opens her eyes, yellow light surrounding her vision as she realises she's lying in a sunbed. Her muscles ache, she welcomes the feeling as she moves her legs and arms slightly, stretching them a bit. Turning her head, she looks at Maggie and Alex sleeping, Maggie's head resting on Alex's shoulder, while Alex's leans back against the chair. Kara attempts to sit, failing exceptionally as her back slams into the metal surface her head stinging from the rough landing.

Alex opens her eyes, forgetting Maggie was on her as she tries to move.

"Kara, are you okay?" Kara nods, rubbing the back of her head. Maggie yawns as she wakes up, looking at Alex and then Kara.

"Hey, Kara, how you feeling?" Kara opens her mouth, an unexpected noise coming out of her mouth instead of words. Maggie looks at Alex and back at Kara as Kara tries again, random sounds coming out of her mouth instead of the sentence she was trying to say. Kara looks at Alex for help and Alex stands up, looking at Kara's charts and the machines around her.

"Don't panic, this is temporary too. While you were locked in your lungs and vocal chords stopped cooperating with each other, it seems they're still having some trouble." Alex raises the top of the sunbed up as she grabs Kara's hand.

"Squeeze as hard as you can for me." Kara looks at her like she's crazy.

"Just do it, come on." Kara squeezes the agent's hand, Alex nodding slightly as she lets go.

"Your muscles are still a bit weak, you have less than average human strength, but not by much. Can we try walking?" Kara nods eagerly, she desperately needs to move. She realises she's barefoot as she feels the cool touch of the ground below, her feet flattening on the surface as she starts sliding off the bed. Once all her weight is put on her feet she stumbles slightly, Alex grabbing ahold of her arm and straightening her. Kara pushes Alex's hands away as she takes an experimental step. It's still shaky, but she doesn't feel like she'll fall this time. A few more steps are made until she turns and smiles at the couple, her sister beaming at her.

Kara opens her mouth again, her speaking not having improved as Kars crosses her arms in annoyance. Alex picks up a small tablet, tapping some buttons on it before handing it to Kara.

"You can communicate through this." There's a large keyboard on the screen and Kara types quickly with one hand.

"Am I able to still work at Catco?" Alex looks at her shocked as the tablet voice is heard.

"Seriously? Your whole body was paralysed a few hours ago and you can still think about working." Kara gave her a look before typing again.

"I like my apartment, I need to pay rent somehow." Alex rolls her eyes before noticing Kara's legs shaking slightly. She takes the tablet away and hands it to Maggie as she leads her sister to a chair. Kara sits, looking at Alex expectantly, waiting for an answer. Alex sighs.

"I will let you go to Catco today if you agree to my terms." Kara nods, ready to listen.

"One, I need you to try to keep the walking down a bit, don't walk all day, have some else do jobs that require walking a far distance. Two, you will text me not every hour, but every thirty minutes with an update on how you're doing and how you're feeling. And three, you will let me escort you there and explain this to Cat." Kara's crinkle on her forehead appears as she stares at Alex, thinking all the terms over. She eventually nods slowly in agreement.

"Good, we'll drop by your apartment so you can take a shower and get dressed." Alex turns to the detective and kisses her.

"I'll see you later." Maggie just smiles tiredly before putting up a small thumbs up. Alex puts an arm around her sister's back, helping her walk to the car slowly. During the stressful silence, Kara keeps glancing at Alex, wishing she could say something, that someone would say something. Even the agents working early at the DEO only gave them silent looks of pity. The entire situation made her skin crawl. Alex looks at her with concern.

"Is something wrong?" Kara shakes her head, wincing, her head still hurts. Once they step outside, Kara breathes in the fresh air deeply, the moment ending abruptly as she's set down into the passenger seat of a DEO van, Alex climbing into the driver's seat. Kara rolls the window down as they start moving, letting the wind hit her fingertips as she looks at the city rushing past her. The dark sky was getting lighter by the minute, the noises of the city getting louder as people rushed off to their jobs, maybe some even going home. The van stops and Alex looks at Kara, making Kara feel anxious by the silence that still hadn't been broken. Kara grabs the tablet and types on it, deleting some things, typing more, deleting, the process goes on until Alex puts her hand on Kara's.

"Just type what you want to say." Kara bites her lip and types slower this time, less frantic.

"What if I don't get stronger than this? What if what's left of this is permanent? I still have my powers, why am I recovering so slowly?" Alex looks down before looking at Kara.

"We just have to hope for the best, okay? After work I can take you back to the lab and do more tests if you want, but for now, we just hope. And usually you're the one saying this, since you taught me how to hope." Kara smiles, before hugging Alex tightly. Alex looks worried slightly but, stays silent as she hugs her little sister back.

"Alright come on, let's get ready." Alex breaks up the hug and hands Kara her glasses. They both get out of the van and head towards Kara's apartment building.


	3. Work

A/N: Just heads up, Cat doesn't know Kara is Supergirl, but she still has suspicious even after the whole J'onn thing. Any criticism is welcome and I work faster if people yell at me so feel free to do that in reviews if you want.

Once Kara had showered and changed into work appropriate clothing, at least clothing Kara deemed appropriate (we all know Cat Grant would not approve), she walked into her living room, beaming.

"What?" Alex asked, confused.

"I can sorta speak now!" Kara exclaimed in slurred words, Alex barely managing to understand.

"See, hope is magical." Kara and her laughed, Alex laughing more due to happiness and relief from hearing her sister's laugh. The laughing died down and Kara looked at the time.

"We better go." Alex agrees before helping Kara to the elevator and into the van. It's silent as they drive to Catco, Alex denying Kara's request to turn on the radio in fear that she'd go into "Supergirl mode" and hurt herself more. The silence made Kara fidgety as she messed with different things in the van, Alex having to swat at the blonde's hands several times to avoid accidentally shooting off rockets or causing other disasters.

"This is a nice van, not as nice as flying, but they have cup holders that keep your drink cold!" Alex chuckles at her sister's dorky rants as she parks the van, Kara attempting to get out and leave by herself.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kara looks confused.

"Going to work." Alex rolls her eyes.

"The terms." Kara's crinkle disappears as her face fills with realisation.

"The terms." She repeats back and Alex nods, exiting the van before locking it and standing by her sister.

"Shall we?" Alex asks, holding out a hand towards Kara, earning an eye roll. The Kryptonian grabs her hand and they walk up towards the building entrance, Alex remaining cautious on the steps and Kara's legs shake slightly. Once in the elevator, Kara squeezes Alex's hand, worry and anxiety in her eyes.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine, I'm going to explain this to Cat and I'm sure James is willing to help you with anything." Kara breathes deeply as the elevator stops, her shaky legs stepping out onto the carpeted floor. Halfway to her desk, she freezes as Cat's private elevator opens and the one and only queen of media steps out, pausing as she looks at Kara and Alex.

"Kiera, who's this?" Cat asks, looking at Alex. Kara opens her mouth before looking at Alex desperately.

"Alex Danvers, Kara's older sister." Alex holds out her hand and Cat shakes it, recognition crossing her features.

"Kara's mentioned you before, adoptive sister, correct?" Alex nods as Cat gestures Alex and Kara to follow her into her office. Cat sits behind her large desk and looks back at the agent.

"So what can I do for you?" Cat asks, already starting to do her work on her laptop.

"I need to talk to you about Kara actually." She stops typing and then continues a few seconds later.

"Why? What do I need to know?"

"Kara was in an accident which caused a temporary form of locked-in syndrome." Cat stops typing again and looks at Kara with what could almost be categorised as concern, before looking back up at Alex.

"What accident, what's locked-in syndrome?" Cat asks, her calm tone faltering slightly.

"Locked-in syndrome is where the entire body is paralysed except for the eyes. She was fully aware, but she couldn't speak or move while also not feeling any sensation." Alex answers, ignoring the accident part of the question.

"Why are you at work then?" Cat directs this question to Kara as Kara glances back at Alex. "I didn't ask her, I asked you." The Kryptonian adjusts her glasses and clears her throat.

"I thought I could still help." Cat looks shocked as Kara's slurred voice is heard.

"She still has some muscle weakness, but she can do tasks that don't involve a lot of walking, her voice will recover more over time." Cat stands from her desk, closing her laptop before she walks in front of the sisters. The CEO almost looks angry as she stares at them, her face changing as she notices Kara's shaky legs.

"Kara, sit down." Kara does as she's told, sitting on one of the couches nearby. The blonde looked at her boss, observing her features, a lot of these reactions were new, stuff she'd only seen when she took back Carter after the train disaster.

"You should take the day off at least." Cat sits next to Kara, a caring, gentle look in her eyes.

"I want to help out here, not be stuck at home doing nothing. It'll help pass the time." Cat looks hesitant, her gaze drifting back up to Alex.

"She shouldn't be in any sort of danger, she promised to update me so I'll know if anything is wrong. She's insistent on working and she can if she's careful." Cat nods, looking back at Kara.

"Go to your desk." Kara smiles as she stands up slowly, walking out of the office and sitting at her own desk. Alex looks at her and bites her lip, folding her arms, a habit she had tried to get out of, you were slow to defend yourself with your arms folded.

"Another thing, Kara has specific medical needs so if anything does happen, call me, not a hospital first. I have medical training and she can get overwhelmed and anxious at hospitals." Alex hands Cat a slip of paper with her number scribbled on it. Cat accepts it before the agent turns around and walks out of the office, her eyes glancing at her sister once again before she enters the public elevator. Cat sighs and stands, shaking herself mentally to pull herself back together. She goes over to her private bar, her hand hovering over the bottle of whiskey. She shakes her head and instead grabs a few M&Ms, chewing the dark chocolate candy before sitting down, opening her laptop once again. Her focus is all over the place and in the end, her gaze lingers on her assistant, a feeling of protectiveness she always tries to hide rising to the surface.

She had to be professional, she had to be the bitchy boss that everyone feared, even towards Kara who she knew, knew that she wasn't a bad person. Kara always managed to believe in her and in the end Cat believed in Kara, because Kara is extraordinary, Kara is excellent at her job, Kara inspires her, something she probably would never admit to anyone. Sometimes the snarky bitch act falls and the conversation isn't professional anymore, when Kara mentioned her parents dying Cat had responded with things anyone else might've used as blackmail. She trusted Kara, Kara was different than other employees, there was always an underlying unprofessional relationship between the two, a relationship that changed her and she was extremely hard to change. Of course Cat still had her suspicions about her assistant being the alien who saves the world, but the reporter in her needed proof, so suspicions they shall remain.

"Miss Grant?" Cat jumps slightly as she looks at Kara who is lingering by the door.

"What is it?" Her tone is a bit harsher than she intended, causing Kara to look at her slightly confused.

"Are you okay?" Cat looks at her clock, she had been spaced out for the last five minutes. She breathes deeply, this was all very unprofessional.

"I'm fine Ker-rah, how are you?" Kara's face goes blank.

"Did my sister tell you to observe me?"

"No, she told me you would be updating her regularly."

"Okay." Kara adjusts her glasses, swallowing the lump in her throat. She looks like she might say something before she stops herself and heads back to her desk.

######################################################

An hour had passed and Cat was putting the finishing touches on her article, her eyes filled with amusement as she reviewed what she had said about a politician embarrassing themselves in the middle of a speech. Her eyes glance over at Kara's desk, causing her humour to slip away as she stands from her chair and exits her office.

"James!" She calls to the photographer as he passes by her.

"Yes, Miss Grant? What can I do for you?"

"Have you seen Kara?" James looks at Kara's empty desk in confusion.

"I think I might've seen her by the empty offices." Cat nods firmly, trying to act calm.

"Is everything alright?" Cat smiles and nods again, James looking even more confused as he walks away. A buzz brings Cat's attention to her assistant's cluttered mess of a desk. She looks at Kara's phone, the screen lit up with a message from the brunette she saw earlier.

"Kara, how you holding up?" It read. Cat bit her lip slightly as she rushed off to the location James had informed her of. Her heels clicked against the ground as she attempted dodging employees, barking insults at a few who got in her way. Once she stops in the quiet hallway, her eyes search frantically, her professional attitude had gone flying out the window several minutes ago. She turns a corner and sees Kara staring out of a window, relief causing her adrenaline rush to die down. She noticed the shaking of her legs and the paleness of her skin, sweat causing her hair to stick to her face, her eyes wide as she stared at National City.

"Kara? What are you doing?" Cat asked in a gentle voice, something was clearly wrong.

"I-I love this ci-city." Kara's voice sounded normal, besides the stuttering, her words were no longer slurred. Kara's eyes didn't leave the window.

"Your sister is asking for an update, how're you feeling?" Cat knows she shouldn't use this voice with an employee, it's her mothering voice, the one only for Carter and sometimes for Adam.

"I do-don't understand." Wrinkles appear between Kara's eyes, as she stares at the buildings outside.

"Kara, can you please look at me?" Cat steps closer, fear striking her heart due to the blonde's reactions.

"I ju-ju-ju-I just want them to b-be sa-safe." Kara turns her head, her eyes teary and scared. Cat steps even closer, looking at Kara with concern.

"Who do you want to be safe?"

"E-everyone." A choked sob burst from her mouth, her teeth biting down hard on her lip, threatening to break the skin.

"Kara, look at me." Cat touches Kara's arm, surprised to feel cold skin instead of feverish. Kara looks at her, sniffling.

"I think you need to go home. I can call your sister." Kara looks at her, confused.

"I can't go home. Th-they're all dead."

"Are you talking about your parents?" Kara nodded quickly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she bites harder on her lip, small beads of blood staining her white teeth. Cat, by instinct, pulls Kara into a hug, concern tugging at her heart as she feels how cold she is.

"I-I just want to…"Kara fades off as she goes limp against Cat, Cat stumbling back due to the height difference. Carefully, she lays Kara down on the floor, her eyes wide.

"Kara. Kara, wake up!" Cat shakes her arm slightly, her heart pounding in terror.

"Why are you so cold?" She asks herself, attempting to shake Kara awake over and over again. Eventually, she stops. Her trembling hands grab for her cell as she dials the number on the paper, putting the phone to her ear.

"What's wrong?" Alex answers with a frightened voice.

"She wandered off and she seemed so confused and she-"

"Cat, calm down, what's happening." The CEO is about to answer when she notices Kara twitching, her body convulsing as she whimpers. Cat drops the phone as she frantically tries to help the blonde, placing her sweater under her head and turning her onto her side. She picks up her cellphone again and puts it to her ear.

"I'm on my way."

"Hurry, please." The call ends.


	4. Help

A/N: Got a lot of comments and follows last chapter so thanks for that. I am confirming that this story is not Supercat, but other stories I will write in the future may contain Supercat and Supercorp. Sorry for the shorter chapter, I was a bit tired so thinking was a little harder. I hope to update with another chapter earlier tomorrow though.

"J'onn, I need you to fly me to Catco." Alex demands as she stomps towards him.

"Why? You can use the DEO vans, it's not that far." Alex is shaking slightly, her breath uneven as she combs a hand through her hair.

"I need to get Kara, something happened, she could be dying!" J'onn silently nods, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Vasquez, I need you to assemble a medical team and meet us on the roof of Catco!"

"Right away, sir!" A red light covers J'onn's body as he shifts into his Martian form. He grabs Alex and holds onto her tightly as he flies out of the building, landing on the roof of Catco in seconds. Alex quickly tears away from him, running towards the door to go inside. As J'onn shifts back to Hank Henshaw the agent had already reached the elevators, shoving her way inside and frantically smashing the button to the right floor. She taps her foot impatiently as the doors close, seconds feel like hours as people get off and on the elevator, scurrying to get to their appointments.

The elevator eventually reaches Kara's floor, Alex immediately running out and tripping a man on the way, not bothering with apologies as she searches frantically, her breath catching in her throat.

"Alex? What's wrong?" James asks, rushing over. Alex waves a dismissive hand as she leans against Kara's desk.

"I just need to... talk to Cat." James looks worriedly at Alex before looking into his boss's office. Before James can say anything else, Cat runs out, her eyes locking with Alex's, no words needed to be spoken as she runs back towards Kara, Alex chasing after her. Everything feels slow, her legs feel heavy, her lungs heaving in emotional distress. Then she sees her, it can't be her sister, this form looks like a corpse, her knees drop to the floor with a thud as she stares at Kara.

"This is my fault." She mutters, her eyes unable to leave the twitching form of her little sister.

"Alex! Get your ass over here and help her!" Cat snaps, Alex's focus returning as she crawls over. Kara's skin is pale, a grey tone making her look as if she'd died hours ago. Alex touches her, her skin cold and sweaty.

"Sh-she wandered off, I went to go find her and she was staring out of the window mumbling nonsense. Eventually, she passed out and started having a tonic clonic seizure." Cat's eyes fill with guilt as she stares down at Kara, her hand clinging onto Kara's as if it were the only thing keeping her slightly sane. Alex puts two fingers to her sister's neck, counting how fast her pulse is, breathing deeply when she realised it was lower than it should be. She took out a flashlight, opening Kara's eye and testing the pupil reaction. She was relieved to find that at least that was normal.

Kara gasps as her eyes shoot open, causing Alex to jump in surprise and Cat to yelp. The blonde's eyes search everywhere frantically, her breathing uneven as Cat screams in pain and quickly removes her hand out of Kara's grip. Alex looks at her with fear, Cat's hand disfigured, clearly broken.

"I knew it." Cat said, staring at her hand in astonishment and pain. She looks at Kara and then to Alex. "She's Supergirl." Alex doesn't even bother lying as she nods.

"Miss Grant, I'm sorry, I hurt your hand, I'm-"

"Kara, stop apologising. You're sick, it's fine, it doesn't even hurt." She was using that forbidden tone again, she can't help it anymore, she couldn't stop herself from showing that she cared, especially in this situation.

"We need to get her to the roof, we have doctors that can help your hand, just come with us." Cat nods as she stands, removing her heels.

"What are you doing?" Kara asks in confusion.

"Well I'm not going to be able to help carry you with those on, will I?" Alex stands as well, starting to pick Kara up as Kara lets out a blood-curdling scream, forcing Alex to set her back down immediately.

"Kara, what hurts?"

"E-everything." Alex brushes a hand through her hair as she tries to think.

"Kara, I'm going to use a sedative on you so you don't hurt while we walk to the helicopter, okay?"

"Okay." Kara says, the voice reminding Alex of when Kara had first come to Earth, the

voice she used when Alex offered Kara to sleep with her after a nightmare about Krypton. This voice was vulnerable, childlike, scared. It hurt Alex to hear it.

"Okay." Alex repeated back as she took out the injector specifically designed to work on Kara. She pressed it to the side of Kara's neck before pushing the button, the machine beeping as it released the sedative into Kara's bloodstream, knocking her out almost instantly.

"Alright, let's do this." Alex picks Kara up again, slinging her sister's arm around her neck, Cat doing the same to Kara's other side as they start to drag her to the elevators. The workplace starts getting louder as Kara is shown in public, people standing up and asking questions, swarming around the women.

"All of you get back to work or I will fire you!" Cat snarls, everyone stepping back and sitting down at their desks.

"The elevators are too crowded."Alex states as Cat looks at her private elevator.

"Come on, this one." They carry Kara to the white doors as Cat presses the up button, wincing at the pressure put on her broken bones. The doors open and they shuffle in hurriedly, setting Kara down so she's leaning against the elevator wall as they ascend towards the roof.


	5. Screams

A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. Long story short I passed out and had to spend a few hours in the ER for tests, which meant no writing was accomplished. I have a good chapter for you though and made sure this was extra long to make up for that shorter chapter. Enjoy!

The elevator doors open and a set of stairs are in front of them, both women picking up the unconscious superhero and walking up the stairs, the journey agonisingly slow.

"Here let her go, I have an idea, but I'm going to need you to watch her." Cat lets go of Kara slowly as Alex leans down and picks up her body in a fireman's carry, Cat holding her hands out in case Alex falls.

"Why didn't you do this before?" Cat asks.

"She's taller than me, plus Krypton's gravity is different from Earth's, basically she's a lot heavier than she looks." Alex huffs, proving the point. She carries Kara up the remaining stairs, Cat following behind. The CEO looks at her assistant and notices her eyes moving, as they open.

"Alex, she's waking up." Alex somehow goes faster as the door bursts open, voices and sunlight overwhelming Cat. Kara is quickly put on a gurney and stolen away, going towards a black helicopter.

"Miss Grant." J'onn says as he approaches her. "I'm going to need you to come with us, we'll patch up your hand once we arrive." Cat nods slowly.

"Of course." Alex walks next to Cat, J'onn running ahead to the helicopter.

"Thank you, for helping my sister." Cat chuckles and shakes her head.

"I should've insisted on her staying home."

"You didn't do anything wrong, she's stubborn, she wouldn't have listened to either of us." Alex looks down, crossing her arms, ignoring the voice in her mind telling her to break that habit. She looks guilty, tired, scared, Cat can tell she's experienced more darkness in her lifetime than any person of her age should. Cat opens her mouth to say something, but is cut off by Alex.

"Where did you learn to deal with seizures?" Alex asks, her face brightening slightly.

"Oh, um Carter, my son, he has epilepsy. It's not as bad as before so I rarely have to worry about it." Alex nods as she climbs into the helicopter, holding her hand out to help Cat on. Once the two women are on board, they go and sit next to Kara, both staring at her silently, both afraid to touch the frail looking woman. The helicopter lifts off the ground, a doctor walking over and sitting by Cat, inspecting her hand and splinting it as she stares at her assistant. The ride feels like it takes days, Kara shivering under the thin blanket as her eyes occasionally roll over to Alex's face, sometimes Cat's. Alex keeps brushing the hair out of her sister's eyes, whispering stories of when they were young, some of them causing a slight smile to tug on the blonde's lips.

Cat's eyes widen as she realises something, quickly she tries to grab her cell only to realise she left it back at Catco, on the floor where Kara was.

"Alex, do you have a cell I can use? I need to call James so he can take over for the rest of the day." Alex nods as she hands over the phone, Cat quickly dialing the needed number.

"Hello?"

"Yes, James, I need you to be in charge."

"Where are you, Miss Grant?" James yells, Cat suddenly realising how loud it is in the helicopter.

"Nevermind that James, please take care of Catco while I'm gone." Cat hangs up before James can say anything else and hands the phone back to Alex.

"I'm sorry, Cat." Kara says weakly, her eyes filled with guilt. Cat frowns with concern.

"What are you sorry for? There's no reason to be sorry." Kara's lip trembles as she wipes a hand across her eyes. Cat grabs Kara's hand gently, ignoring the germophobia instincts as she feels the clammy sweat on the girl's hand. She squeezes it, looking at Kara sympathetically.

"I forced you to go away from work, you like working." Cat laughs softly, shaking her head.

"Sweetheart." She was using the forbidden tone again. "You didn't do anything wrong, and I chose to come here with you. Anyways, I probably needed a day off." Kara laughs a watery laugh, before coughing wracks through her body. Cat frowns again, rubbing her thumb in soothing circles across Kara's knuckles. Cat felt like crying, Kara looks miserable, she looks as if she were suffering a silent agony, she'd known this woman for three years and seeing her in so much pain hurt her.

Alex's head snaps up in attention as the helicopter lands, doctors once again swarming around Kara, rushing the gurney towards, well nothing. At least it looks like nothing until J'onn activates a remote, a high tech elevator appearing out of thin air. Kara looked back at the women, scared as she reaches towards them, Alex whimpers unintentionally, covering her mouth in surprise. J'onn walks up behind them, grabbing both of them and flying them into the DEO, Cat looking at her surroundings in shock.

"What is this place?" She exclaims in wonder. Alex smirking slightly.

"The DEO, we contain hostile alien threats and keep the Earth safe. Supergirl works for us." Cat just nods silently as her eyes light up, looking at everything there is to see.

"Ma'am, I'm gonna need you over here." Doctor Hamilton approaches, leading Cat to the lab. Cat just follows, her eyes still searching around the new location. Alex chuckles a bit as she follows, closing the door behind her.

"We have something here that can make your hand heal in a few hours since it wasn't a major break." Doctor Hamilton explains to Cat as she pulls out a needle filled with a glowing orange substance. Cat gulps nervously, Alex noticing.

"Wh-what is in that?" Cat eyes the needle threateningly.

"A formula we made thanks to some DNA from the Flash." Cat flinches slightly as Doctor Hamilton approaches her.

"Hamilton, I can handle this, can you check on Kara for me please?" Alex intervenes. Hamilton hands Alex the needle as she promises them to give them updates on Kara's condition. Alex puts on gloves, grabbing an alcohol swab, she nears Cat, causing Cat to lean back slightly.

"Never figured you to be afraid of needles." Alex comments.

"I'm not, needles are such little things, it'd be pathetic to fear needles." Cat responds, flustered, a blush of embarrassment spreading across her cheeks.

"Kara's afraid of them, she had to get a few shots when she first got here to help control her powers, she never really got over it." This seems to relax Cat slightly as Alex takes a few steps and wipes the alcohol rub on Cat's bicep. Cat shivers, her body leaning away from Alex once again.

"Hey relax, I won't do anything until you say you're ready." Cat relaxes a bit again. She breathes in deeply, closing her eyes before suddenly she feels a pinch and then it's gone, her eyes shooting open as she sends a glare towards Alex.

"You lied!"

"I'm quick, I've done this several times." Alex smiles as she snaps off her gloves and throws them away. "In a few hours your hand should heal, but don't try to type with that hand without my say so, okay?"

"Fine. Can we see Kara?" Alex shakes her head.

"The room is filled with working doctors right now, they're probably doing more tests."

"With needles." Cat adds, her frown deepening.

"With needles." Alex repeats. The sound of running is heard coming closer before a pair of arms wrap around Alex's waist, causing Alex to screech in surprise as the arms let go, allowing her to turn to face the attacker.

"Maggie." Alex says with relief as she kisses her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her neck. The kiss breaks, Alex continuing to cling to her girlfriend.

"J'onn called, I didn't think it'd get this bad, especially with how much better she seemed this morning." Cat slides off the medical table, causing Alex to let go of Maggie quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Cat, this is Maggie Sawyers. Maggie, this is Cat Grant."

"Kara's bitchy boss?" Maggie's eyes widen. "I mean, you probably get bad days like the rest of us and because you work so hard and…" Alex coughs awkwardly.

"It's fine, nothing I haven't heard before. From others or Kara herself." Maggie bites her lip and nods, an awkward silence hanging in the air.

"I'm gonna check in with Hamilton to see if I can help." Alex says, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I think I should come with you." Maggie adds.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Alex nods her head before she grins, opening the lab door. "Winn, get your ass in here, now!" Alex and Maggie giggle as the sound of scurrying is heard.

"I'm very busy, what is it Alex?" Winn asks, somewhat scared.

"Ah, Winslow." Cat smiles as Winn yelps in surprise once he spots Cat in the corner of the lab.

"Miss Grant, what are you doing here?" Winn's voice shakes slightly as Alex and Maggie roll their eyes.

"I could ask you the same question." Winn stays silent before turning back towards Alex.

"So, did you need me for anything?"

"Why don't you give Cat the grand tour?" Alex suggests and Winn nods, gesturing for Cat to follow. On the way out, Cat catches whispers between the two lovers.

"How does she manage to scare him more than us?"

"She hasn't even threatened physical violence, it's kind of amazing." Cat smirks as she's led off by her former employee.

#############################################

Kara's vision blurs, her heartbeat thumping in her ears at a slow rhythmic pace. There's pain everywhere, like daggers inside her bones, trying to saw their way out. She can't tell if she's breathing, if she's blinking, if she's moving. She hasn't felt much pain in her lifetime, the broken arm was one of the highest on her pain list. This pain, this was something new, it clouds her thoughts and it makes her unable to move yet unable to stay still. It makes her want to die, she feels like screaming it at times because this pain is unbearable. She might be screaming, maybe her mouth is closed tight, she can't tell what's happening, she can't tell if time is moving, she can't even tell where she is right now. She thinks there's something touching her, she thinks she might be at the DEO, she thinks she might be dying.

She can't see anymore, she can't breathe, it hurts so bad, it hurts so bad, Rao she wishes she could leave this pain. She hears voices, screaming. Her screaming? Someone else? She can't tell, it hurts to try to sort out all the sounds, all the colours. She wants to die to leave this pain, but she is scared, terrified.

####################################

Alex is discussing with Hamilton, trying to persuade her to let them visit Kara, while discussing different medical options for her. Maggie hears it first, her body stiffens and her lip trembles as she stares at the nearby doors of the med bay. Alex stops mid sentence when she hears it too, her mouth closing as she stands there, staring where Maggie is staring. They wait, wanting to make sure, one second, two seconds, three seconds, four.

"ALEX!" The agent doesn't waste any time sprinting towards the doors of the med bay and slamming them open, running towards her little sister's screams, her cries for help. Doctors try to grab her as she pushes them away, her legs picking up momentum. More cries and screams were heard, louder than before, so filled with pain that Alex's feet almost falter.

"Somebody help me! It hurts it hurts! Alex! Cat!" Alex skids to a stop a few feet in front of Kara, doctors approaching Alex, telling her she isn't allowed there, allowed to be near her sister who is thrashing around, screaming for her and her friends, tears soaking the sheets below, scratches covering her arms and face from her fingernails. There are clumps of hair torn out, scattered on the floor and on the bed, Kara's eyes are everywhere at once, not focusing on anything, her jaw clenching down whenever she isn't screaming. Alex can't walk over, she's frozen, and then she's on her knees, her hand covering her mouth, the doctors trying to move her.

The faint voice of her girlfriend shouting and fighting off the doctors starts to fade as Alex stares at her sister, sobs trying to escape past her palm as pools of tears form on her thumb and index finger. Someone is touching her, hugging her, dragging her, shaking her, she doesn't know, everything is quiet except for the screams. She feels a sting on her cheek, the slap forcing her head to the side, her hand leaving her mouth as her vision focuses on Cat, an angry, concerned Cat, staring into her eyes.

"Help her!" Alex shoots upwards and runs to her sister's bedside, her eyes analysing the situation as she reads the lab results. Alex rushes around the room, grabbing different bottles and bags, mixing them together and filling a syringe with the new concoction.

"J'onn, I need you to try to hold her down to the best of your ability. Cat, I need you to hold this towards her skin." Alex directs as J'onn rushes over, pinning Kara's arms down as Cat grabs the small glowing green rock from Alex, holding it near Kara's neck. Alex quickly injects the solution into her sister's veins. Kara gasps, her body convulsing as she falls unconscious, different machines beeping frantically before Kara's body goes limp.

"Alex, what is going on?" Cat whispers, scared.

"No, no, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen!" Alex looks at the heart monitor with desperation as she feels for a pulse. She grabs her sister's hand, feeling her wrist, the room silent except for the sound of the heart monitor.

"Ma-maybe I'm too fr-freaked out to feel i-it." Alex stutters, looking at everyone. "Cat! You try! I think I just- I just missed it. Come on, the machine is broken!" Cat walks over slowly, shaking her head as she feels for Kara's pulse. She waits for thirty seconds, before backing away, Alex's whimpers turning into shouts of horror as she drops to the ground, Cat grabbing onto her. The agent grips the other woman's shoulders, her tear filled eyes staring into Cat's, desperation flooding them as she tries to breathe, panic overtaking her as she lets go, curling in on herself, Maggie running over and holding her, her own cries matching with the brunette's.

Cat stands and glares at Kara, climbing onto the bed and starting heart compressions. Her eyes welling up with tears the longer it doesn't work, her hand burning with pain. She yells in frustration, going faster, assuming her heart needs more due to her alien anatomy.

"Kara, I swear to God if you do this!" Cat yells, causing Alex to freak out more. Winn grabs onto Cat's shoulders, attempting to pull her away.

"Don't touch me!" She smacks away his hands, starting heart compressions again.

"Miss Grant, it won't work. Stop. You need to stop. Cat, stop!" J'onn helps Winn pull her off the bed and to the ground as Cat fights them, kicking and yelling.

"It's my fault! You can't let this happen!" Cat screams, as one of the doctors return, injecting a sedative into her neck, her anger fading into despair as her muscles relax.

"Time of death, 12:58."

A/N: *Laughs evilly* Don't worry there's more to come, whether Kara is in it or not well, you'll just have to find out, won't you?


	6. Depression

A/N: I do apologise for any pain that may have occurred during the last chapter, but please enjoy this next one. TW: uses of alcohol, starvation (major weight loss)

"James, I'm going to need you to remain in charge for a few more days."

"Miss Grant, it's been two weeks now, what's going on?" Cat bites her trembling lip, wiping away at the tears from earlier.

"I just need you to remain in charge, is that clear Mr. Olsen?" She lifts up her glass and takes another sip of whiskey.

"Yes, Miss Grant I-" She ends the call, dropping the phone on the couch beside her, her breath catching in her throat again. It was too early to be crying again, it was too early for her to be drinking, it was too early to be thinking about her son who she had dropped off at her ex-husband's house a week and a half ago and hadn't physically spoken to since.

Every day she would try to convince herself to get out of bed and go to work, that she could get up and yell at her employees more than usual, be more abusive than usual, hide behind her laptop as she glances over at Kara's empty desk. Cat had made it clear she didn't want James to know about the situation until she could handle herself a bit better, and every passing day where she barely made it out of bed and knew she wouldn't be able to handle herself for more than fifteen minutes made her feel guilty of that request.

There was a knock on her door, something she expects every day. She tries to decide if today she should open the door or leave it, for the past two weeks the action was only done fifty percent of the time. Chugging down the last of her whiskey, she stands, swaying as she walks to the door. She opens it slowly, peeking her head out as she sighs.

"You always seem surprised, I come by every day and you always act like you don't

expect me the next day." Winn holds up a coffee and a white paper bag. "Can I come in today?" Cat sighs once again, opening the door more and letting Winn enter. He sets down the bag on the kitchen counter and hands over the latte to Cat, who accepts it. Winn opens his mouth to say something before he sighs and sits down on Cat's couch, gesturing for her to sit as well.

"What is it? Is it Alex?" Cat asks worriedly and Winn shakes his head.

"No, um, it's quite a few things, um, I think you should come to the DEO." Winn rubs his hands together nervously as he sniffs, looking at his shoes. "We've been talking, and um, we think it's time to do the funeral for Kara. Also, we should tell James." Cat jumps up, glaring down on Winn as she yells.

"It's not time yet, we are going to find something, Clark is still searching off Earth to find something, we can't just give up!" Winn continues to look downwards as he slowly stands.

"I really think you should come with me. We already called James and he's probably on his way so-"

"You called James?" Cat exclaims. "How could you be so stupid, we could be tearing away hope from him, we just need a little more time you idiot!"

"I loved Kara, Miss Grant! We were best friends for a very long time and I think you just feel guilty for treating her like such crap!" Winn freezes as he realises what he just said, flinching in preparation for a slap or punch or kick to the balls for that matter. He opens his eyes to see his former boss trembling, her mouth closed tight as tears drip from her cheeks and onto the floor.

"Miss Grant I-"

"I was horrible to her. I wasn't even trying to "push" her at times. She inspired me, as Supergirl and Kara Danvers, she changed me, changed my whole life. The worst thing is, she never thought I was a bad person. She looked up to me and I just used her to release my anger. I could've saved her, oh God, this is my fault, I could've-"

"Miss Grant, none of this was anybody's fault. No one saw it coming, and there was nothing to be done. We do have to accept she isn't coming back this time, we have to let her go, and that "we" should include James." Cat sniffles, wiping at her eyes.

"I know." Winn opens his arms and pulls Cat in, hugging her as she attempts not to break down again. "Let's go."

#########################################

Alex is an alcoholic, that is always a thought she keeps tucked away in the back of her head. It started in college during the stressful times, then became a coping mechanism whenever anything went wrong, when everything went wrong. Maggie learned this when Jeremiah betrayed his feeling, leaving Alex heartbroken. Since Maggie knew this, she made sure all alcoholic beverages were sent away and revoked her girlfriend's access to the alien bar.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Maggie asks with worried eyes.

"No, I'm not hungry right now." Maggie bites her lip and Alex looks up at her. "I'll try later." Maggie nods as she sits next to her, kissing her gently on the cheek, pretending not to notice how her cheekbones look sharper, her face thinner, her features sunken and dark. Maggie has been doing a lot of pretending lately.

Alex's phone on the coffee table rings, both women staring at it, wondering if it should be picked up or left to go to voicemail. Eventually, Alex tiredly picks it up, answering the call without looking at the caller ID.

"Hey."

"Alex, I need you and Maggie to come down here right now." Alex closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose, everything she does looks tiring, like it takes too much effort.

"J'onn, I told you, I'm not working there anymore."

"It's not about work, Cat is coming over right now." Alex opens her eyes as she stands, picking up a stray hoodie from the ground and putting it on.

"We're coming over right now."

"Good, I'll see you later." Alex hangs up and looks at Maggie.

"We have to go to the DEO." Maggie nods, grabbing her jacket as Alex rushes out of the door.

########################################

Winn comes in first, supporting Cat as she stumbles over her own shaking feet, J'onn

giving them both a questioning look.

"She got sick a few times on the way here." Winn explains, leaving out the part where he found the CEO getting drunk at eight in the morning. Winn gently helps Cat sit in one of the DEO swivel chairs.

"Is Alex here yet?" Cat asks, closing her eyes in discomfort.

"She and Maggie are on their way over now."

"And James?"

"He will be over in a few minutes, he had to take care of some things first." Cat nods, her eyes still closed. A silence quickly falls upon the group, a tense depressing silence, the type they have at funerals. A few minutes pass before the sound of footsteps is heard.

"Cat?" Cat smiles slightly as she stands, Alex running over and hugging her tightly, Cat's eyes fill with concern as she feels the ex-agent's ribs through the baggy hoodie. Alex pulls away as she stares at Cat, her eyes filled with several conflicting emotions. A few tears trail down her face and Cat wipes them away with her thumb.

"You look like crap." Alex chuckles a bit, causing everyone in the room to smile slightly.

"You don't look or smell much better. Are you drunk?" Cat sighs and waves a dismissive hand. Cat's smile fades as she notices Alex's shaking legs, memories of Kara flashing before her.

"Alex, are you okay? You look like you haven't slept or eaten in days." Alex looks away guilty, Cat grabbing the younger woman's arm and setting her down in the swivel chair as Alex mutters a thank you. Everyone grows silent as J'onn stands in front of them, his grief hidden well, enough to almost fool anyone.

"We all have something that needs to be discussed, though I know it is hard and is easier to avoid, we do need to talk about it." Four agents push over Kara's pod so that everyone can see her body inside. Alex chokes on a sob as she turns away, Maggie walking over and hugging her shoulders.

"We need to consider releasing the news that Supergirl is no longer with us, and to let Kara go." Alex covers her mouth as her sobs get louder, Cat attempting to help Alex calm down along with Maggie.

"Clark can hold a traditional Kryptonian funeral that will be open to the public to attend." J'onn takes a step towards Alex before hesitating.

"Clark just needs more time, just give him more time!" Cat shouts angrily, before she looks at Kara's face, her face going blank as she stares.

The door opens and footsteps echo through the building at an even tempo, everyone freezes, Alex's cries are the only sound besides the footsteps. James steps in front of everyone, staring at them, from Alex sobbing, to Winn looking away guiltily, to Cat's tear streaked blank expression. His eyes fall on Kara, he drops everything he's holding.

"What the hell happened?"


	7. Accusations

A/N: I sincerely apologise for the late update, this week has been hectic. Anyways this chapter should help explain a few things people were asking about. Enjoy!

TW: starvation, swearing

"James, maybe you should sit." Winn approaches him, putting a hand on his shoulder. James's eyes flick over towards Cat, a glare appearing.

"You knew! That's why you wouldn't come to work, that's why you've been avoiding it!" Cat looks down, the original guilt building up more as she stands there, frozen. "That's what all that chaos was about two weeks ago! That's why Alex came to Catco, isn't it?"

"You need to calm down." Winn tries again, James suddenly staring at him.

"Even you didn't tell me." His voice is filled with hurt. He looks back at Kara, his eyes welling up with tears. J'onn walks over and leads James away to discuss.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong." Cat whimpers and Winn shakes his head.

"No one was thinking straight at the time, it's no one's fault." A silence falls upon the group besides sniffles here and there. Some people describe silence as peaceful, an escape from a noisy world. This was not that silence, this silence was suffocating, a weight on your shoulders and in your chest. It's the silence of when a thousand thoughts want to be spoken, but can't.

"So what happened with Eliza?" Winn asks Alex, Alex looking up tiredly.

"She stayed for a while, but there was some work she needed to get done in Midvale before she could come back." The silence returns. Alex laughs, her breath wheezy as a smile spreads across her face. Everyone turns and stares at her with concern, Maggie frowning at the odd behaviour.

"I always protected Kara because she's my little sister, but I never actually thought she'd die before I did!" Alex explains through the giggle fits, her arms wrapped around her stomach as tears pour down her face, everyone still staring in shock.

"She's bulletproof, she's fireproof, she has super strength and I had a way more dangerous job than she did at the time! Look at me I'm fine! I shouldn't be fine!" She growls the last part angrily as she quickly stands up with her arms stretched out, the baggie hoodie pressing more against the brunette's exposed ribs. Her breath catches as her forehead wrinkles, her eyes squinting. In a matter of seconds, her eyes roll back and she collapses, Maggie quickly jumping out and catching her, holding her to her chest protectively.

"What's happening to her?" Cat exclaims and Maggie looks up, tears in her eyes before she glances at Kara. Somehow, everyone understands as J'onn and James come running over.

"She's probably dehydrated." Maggie explains to J'onn quietly, her voice quivering.

"She'll be fine, come with me." J'onn replies as he lifts up Alex, Maggie following as they go towards the med bay.

"There are other people we need to tell." James directs to Cat.

"Who? Is there someone I don't know about?" James and Winn look at each other.

"Do you have a line to Lena Luthor?" Cat nods slowly as she reaches into her purse, her face falling as she realises something.

"My phone with her contact, it's at Catco."

"Well then, let's get it." James urges.

"I can't go there right now. If we can find Kara's cell then maybe we can call her from there?" James and Winn look at each other, before nodding in agreement.

#################################

"She can't keep going on like this, I knew she was doing more in the DEO training room, but this..." J'onn looks at the bruised skin over the outlines of the younger woman's ribs. He was afraid to touch her in this state, it feels like any wrong movement would break her. J'onn puts the IV into Alex's vein, hanging up the fluids and letting it do its work. Maggie stands on the other side of the table, rocking on her heels nervously as she stares intensely.

"Maggie, it's going to be fine."

"That's bullshit. None of the people out there are going to be fine, Alex especially. Her sister died within two days of unexpected circumstances. She was there, she was fine, and then she was gone. I saw it too J'onn, I saw more than a lot of those people." J'onn nods as Maggie calms herself. "I don't have any idea how I can help her with this."

"I know. You just need to keep helping her, keep being there, you and Kara are the closest people she has." Maggie folds her arms and nods slightly. A sigh is heard as Alex lifts up her hand, placing it on her forehead with a groan.

"Hey Danvers, nice of you to join us again." Maggie says sweetly, Alex smiling as she sees her.

"I just needed a nap." Maggie chuckles at that before Alex's eyes start tearing up again, Alex placing her hand over her eyes, the sobs returning. J'onn looks at Maggie, Maggie nodding before he leaves the room, giving the two women some privacy. Maggie climbs onto the medical table and curls up against Alex, wrapping her arms around her sobbing girlfriend, rubbing her back and kissing her shoulder and cheek.

"I-I should've checked her m-more. I should've tra-trained her b-better. This is all m-my fau-fault!" Alex sobs harder.

"Hey hey, no. No one saw this happening, and all the tests said she was fine, this was completely unexpected. This isn't anyone's fault, especially not yours." Alex continues to sob. "Do you understand that?" Maggie pushes and Alex nods, Maggie continuing the routine of comforting her girlfriend.

#############################

The hours pass quickly, very little discussion of what to do had actually happened at the meeting. Eventually, everyone starts drifting away to go home, people promising to be back tomorrow with somber expressions on their face. Soon, all that remains is Cat Grant, standing in the same spot she had been in for the last few hours. Alex had been taken home by Maggie to go rest and to try to eat something. All Cat could do is stare, holding her bag and jacket, ready to go home, begging herself to stop this and to just leave. Her eyes wouldn't move, they were stuck on the alien pod holding one of the closest people she had in her life. She steps forward, her hand touching the cold smooth glass.

"You were amazing." Cat whispers genuinely. She smiles, this would be the night. Cat turns and leaves, getting into her car and starting the engine, her excitement rising as she rides towards the opposite direction of home.

It takes about fifteen long minutes to get there, even in a rush. She cuts the engine, removes the key and exits the car, walking up the steps of the porch. Before her fist has time to make contact with the green door it swings open. She's quickly enveloped in a hug with enough force to almost send her toppling off the steps.

"I missed you so much, Mom." Carter exclaims as he buries his face against her. She returns the hug tightly, her smile quivering.

"I missed you too, Carter." Carter lets go, looking up at his mom with curious eyes.

"Are you finally going to tell me what's been bothering you?" Cat smiles down at him, sighing.

"You're too smart for your own good." She ruffles his hair as she plants a kiss on his forehead. "I will explain everything tomorrow. For now, you need to pack and get in the car." Carter nods excitedly as he rushes into the house, Cat's ex-husband stepping into the doorway.

"You aren't going to tell me are you?" He asks, scratching his stubble.

"There's no reason to tell you, Ronald." He smiles.

"I hate being called that."

"Sorry, Ronnie." Ronnie steps outside a bit more, approaching Cat.

"You can't just dump him over here without explanation and not answer any messages, okay? I was worried."

"You don't need to be worried." The conversation cuts off as Carter walks out with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" Carter asks, observing the two. Cat nods, the smile appearing again.

"You ready to go?" Carter nods as Cat grabs the duffle bag. "Get in the car, I'll be there in a second." Carter nods again as he runs over to the vehicle. Cat looks back at Ronnie.

"I am sorry. It was something tragic, I didn't deal with it properly, that's my fault." Ronnie scans her face with worry.

"I can keep him a little longer if you need it."

"No, no, it's better now. And this situation has a little bit to do with Carter too, it's better if he can hear it at home." Ronnie just nods as he takes the suitcase from Cat, walking down with her towards the car.

"You have a good night Carter." Ronnie says after he puts the duffel in the trunk.

"I will, thanks for taking care of me."

"Anytime." Ronnie directs his glance towards Cat as he says that.

"You ready, Carter? Seatbelt on?"

"Yes Mom, I want to go home." Cat smiles as she starts the car, Ronnie stepping away as he watches the vehicle leave.

#############################

It was all dark, sometimes she could tell when there were lights shining on her, but for the most part, she just saw dark. She could hear clearly though, at least for awhile she could, then she had been moved and some voices were muffled like she was stuck in a fish tank. She couldn't speak, most of the time she just slept in the boring dark silence, she couldn't do anything, but listen. She was scared, she didn't know where she was, all she knew was that people she cared about were suffering, she could hear their sobs and their guilt, she didn't understand, what was happening?

A/N: Sorry if this seems short and boring, next chapter will have way more action, I promise.


	8. Alex Accepts

A/N: So yes the chapters are depressing at the moment, but soon they should lighten up a bit. This one has some major trigger warnings so I will add all I see that could cause any harm.

TRIGGERS: Malnourishment/extreme starvation, depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, blood (like a lot)

Alex could barely get out bed anymore, Maggie realised the struggle before Alex accepted it. Alex wasn't just emotionally struggling to get out of bed, it was physically demanding, so demanding sometimes she didn't bother, most of the time. Maggie was finding it hard to lay in bed next to her if she ever got a chance to cuddle her girlfriend she felt the dry skin and bony figure. Hospitals didn't help, the DEO couldn't help more than they were, and the more they try the more Maggie realises that Alex's spirit died with Kara.

It's been three weeks, the funeral discussions were always short or the meeting had to have Alex on the phone at home instead of at the physical location. Alex's hair has grown out into a rugged mess, tear streaks almost permanently stained her cheeks like scars. Alex never asks to be left alone though, she never pushes Maggie away when it comes to sharing space, when it comes to food and going outside then she pushes, but never has she told her to leave.

Suddenly, Alex wants to go to the DEO. Maggie did not expect this request since there was no meeting today or any sort of DEO business. Alex pushes, excitement and enthusiasm leaking into her voice which confuses Maggie more, but she accepts the request. With Maggie's help, Alex makes it into the car and is sitting up straight with a smile on her face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect, I should've listened to you earlier when you said we should visit," Alex says with what appears to be genuine excitement, her voice hoarse from the lack of use for the past week. Maggie just nods, trying to cover her concern with a smile of her own. Alex's eyes light up slightly as she digs through the glove box with her shaky hands, before pulling out an envelope. She dumps out the contents, holding up a necklace with a shining red stone and golden chain.

"I want to give this to you, I got it on my trip to India a few years ago and eventually stopped wearing it because of my work." Alex hands the necklace to Maggie as she parks the car by the DEO building. Maggie accepts it and smiles with trembling lips.

"Thank you, Alex." Maggie sniffles, tilting her head back and breathing deeply.

"Are you okay?" Maggie looks back at Alex and nods, smiling once again.

"Let's go in." Alex just nods, Maggie catching a glimpse of something in her eyes, an emotion she sees more than she likes to. Guilt. Maggie doesn't ask, she assumes it about Kara or maybe even her near emotional outburst, she ignores it and helps Alex out of the vehicle.

Once they're in the DEO base, Alex directs them towards Kara's pod. She frees herself from Maggie's hold as she leans against the pod, wincing slightly as she places a hand on the glass cover. She looks at Maggie and smiles sweetly, it's not enthusiastic anymore.

"Can we be alone for a little bit?" This was the first time she had pushed her physical presence away, it made her panic, it made her worry, she shouldn't worry, she just wants to be with Kara. "Maggie?" Maggie breaks off the storm of thoughts in her head as she nods quickly, her feet suddenly speeding her away before she wants to comply with the request. This doesn't feel good, this isn't right, something feels wrong, but nothing is happening, Alex is just talking to her sister.

Maggie sits and turns her back on the scene, this is private, she'll just wait.

###############################

Kara is delighted when she hears footsteps walking towards her, she figures maybe they know she's alive or maybe someone is going to fix her. Her delight fades slightly when she hears a broken voice, this voice feels familiar, but at the same time, she has no idea who is speaking. This voice is strained, tired, small.

"Kara, it's Alex." No, this isn't right, this doesn't sound like her sister. "It's been a while, but I finally accept it all, you're gone. And I have an idea on how I can make myself better again." Her voice is shaking, Kara is panicking, her sister is finally believing she's dead.

"This is going to hurt Maggie though, and the truth is I'm terrified. I just want to see you again and maybe even Rao will return you here if I sacrifice myself." Alex chuckles, Kara tries to move, tries to scream, tries to grab Alex so she can't leave. She can't, she can't even breathe right now.

"I just want you to know that I love you so much. I won't ever stop loving you as my little sister." Kara hears a thump on the glass, Alex's hand, she knows that sound from the ship rescue. The footsteps fade and there's Maggie's voice, she needs Maggie to know, she wants to scream, to shatter the prison holding her in this darkness, this can't happen! Alex says one more thing in Kryptonese, the mumble barely audible with her weak super hearing.

"I'll see you soon." Kara tries to scream, she runs in the darkness, trying to find a wall to punch, a way to escape this never-ending void. No one can hear her, no one bothers to try, and no one notices the slight twitch of her mouth as Alex and Maggie walk away to go home.

#######################################

Maggie wakes up suddenly, her eyes blinking in the darkness as she looks around expecting some sort of monster tearing their door down or someone stealing their tv. It's quiet, silent, uncomfortably silent, Maggie looks at the clock and reads two twenty-seven in the green glowing font. She reaches her hand out next to her and feels nothing, her body turns as she looks at the empty side of the bed. Immediately, her mind tries to comfort her, telling her she just went to the bathroom and that's why she woke up in the first place. That can't be right though, it's completely silent, something isn't right.

She sits up and shivers slightly as her bare feet meet the cold floor. She steps out of the bedroom, and her fingers touch the light switch, nearly flipping it up before she notices the sliver of light under the bathroom door. There's a feeling of dread as she runs to the door and slams it open, a scream escaping her lips before she even fully processes what she's seeing.

"NO NO NO NO! ALEX!" Maggie sobs, her feet slipping slightly as she falls next to the tub, scrambling to pull Alex out of the water and onto the floor. Her heart pounds, her screams deafening her as she pulls a towel off the towel rack and wraps it tightly around Alex's left arm, blood already soaking through the white fabric. She feels like gagging and passing out at the same time, she checks the other wrist only to find a small cut that had already stopped bleeding, Alex must have passed out before she could go deeper. Maggie grabs another towel and wraps it around the same arm, putting heavy pressure on it.

She reaches her fingers out and feels for a pulse on Alex's neck. It's weak, it's fading slowly, but right now it's there.

"Wh-why didn't I see this?" Maggie sobs as she continues holding pressure on her dying girlfriend's arm. She realised she doesn't have her cell with her, she can't leave, she may be the only thing holding the blood in Alex's artery. Instead, she starts screaming again, mentally and vocally.

"J'ONN! I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME!" She keeps screaming while looking away from Alex's face, if she keeps looking at everything, the red flooded bathtub, Alex's pale bony face, Alex's sunken eyes, she'll faint for sure. She keeps screaming until she hears a window break and heavy footsteps run towards the bathroom. Her screaming doesn't silence until J'onn is in the bathroom, stumbling to carry Alex and quiet Maggie who is sobbing hysterically as she looks at the blood on her hands, her girlfriend's blood.

"Maggie, I need to take Alex to the DEO, I can't carry both of you do you want me to send Winn?" Maggie shakes her head vigorously.

"I'll just drive myself."

"Are you sure?" Maggie nods as she points outside.

"Go!" J'onn flies out without a second thought as Maggie rushes to grab her keys and changes into a pair of shorts. She almost trips down the stairs at least thirteen times on her way down to the parking lot. Once she's in the car she doesn't care as she turns on her sirens and speeds through traffic, only stopping when she is at the correct building. Maggie heads towards the door but is suddenly lifted onto the balcony of the DEO by J'onn. He's hugging her tightly, it makes her scared and comforted.

"We can't lose both the Danvers…" Maggie whispers quietly, the adrenaline fading as the tiredness seeps in. She almost hopes for a lie or a promise, just to make her feel better and safe. She doesn't get it.

"I know." J'onn responds, she wants him to keep going on how Alex is a fighter and how she'll be fine and maybe say something like "Hey, Kara isn't really dead, isn't that great?" She isn't getting anything she wants right now.

A/N: I am really sorry for the slow updating lately, but I promise I will update again tomorrow and hopefully get back into the idea of updating regularly. Next chapter shouldn't be quite as traumatic as this one, in fact, it might even be slightly happy.


	9. Alive?

Maggie is exhausted, beyond exhausted. She feels the tiredness in her bones, but her mind won't allow her to sleep as she stares at Alex's unconscious body. They had stitched up her arm and given her blood as if it was just that easy to fix. Then they gave her a feeding tube while she was still asleep, it was the only way at the moment. Maggie feels like she failed, she failed to notice the signs of this, it was so blatantly obvious, wasn't it? She's dealt with suicidal people before on the force and she's lost a few of them, that hurt too, but this hurt a thousand times over, because this is her girlfriend, she sees her every day and she knows her. And she failed to notice.

Maggie looks up and notices Cat's face peering in through the glass walls, she looks as if she'd just woken up, her hair's a mess and her clothing disheveled. Maggie meets eyes with her before she gestures her to enter the room. Cat walks in cautiously, her eyes glancing to the bandages on Alex's arm before quickly darting away.

"Lena left a little bit ago so I haven't been gone from here that long," Cat says while standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"She knows now?"

"Lena said she already figured it out, but we had to tell her in order to explain." Maggie just nods. The awkward silence fills the room. Cat looks nervous as she looks back at Alex, Maggie can tell she has questions for both her and her unconscious girlfriend.

"Have you talked to anyone yet? It can be very traumatic to have to experience something like that." Maggie looks at Cat curiously as Cat purposefully avoids her gaze.

"No, I'm fine," Maggie responds, eyeing Cat still.

"There's no way you can be fine right now." There's a look of guilt on her features, a sadness.

"Have you had something like this happen before?" Cat's head snaps up as she looks at the younger woman. She just nods slowly before letting her gaze fall once again. They both go silent, both women staring at Alex with mixed emotions. Cat eventually sits in one of the plastic chairs, the silence becoming unbearably uncomfortable.

"Who was it with you?" Maggie feels scared as Cat tenses up, her eyes avoiding her even more. She stays silent for a few minutes before sighing.

"An employee, in the women's restroom. I found her just as she was about to die, though she didn't… do what Alex did." Cat swallows a lump in her throat and Maggie feels bad for asking.

"I'm sorry." Cat looks back up at her with wide eyes.

"No, it's okay now, just I haven't thought about it in a while." Maggie nods.

"I just, I have this feeling that I should've known, it feels like I failed, like it was obvious to anyone, but me." Cat nods.

"I know. In the end, you realise that there's no way someone could suspect that person would do something like that. Because the thought scares you." Cat couldn't be avoiding her gaze more than she was right now.

"I just love her so much, this entire time I've felt like I've been losing her, letting her slip through my fingers. It feels like it's all out of my control." Cat looks at her, her eyes actually staring in her direction.

"A lot of it is out of your control. You can't control what that person thinks, can't control their actions, you can try to help though, that's all anyone can do is be there as support." Cat looks away again.

"Cat, if you also need someone to talk to, you can call me." Cat smiles at her.

"Thank you."

########################

A few days later the funeral preparations are starting to be set up. They manage to have a Kryptonian coffin made in the fortress of solitude thanks to Clark and Kelex. Everyone is working on things to say and Kryptonian prayers, it's been nearly a month since Kara has died and everyone is starting to fully accept the fact she isn't coming back. Well everyone except Kara who is panicking in the darkness, hoping someone can tell she is alive before she is sent off into the cold emptiness of space. Alex is only allowed to move around in a wheelchair at the moment, she refuses to take off the bandage on her arm even though the wound has healed with their special healing serum they used on Cat.

It's evening when Kara notices the noises of busy people have faded off into a near silence, the pod is open, she can feel the cooler air on her face that is almost uncomfortable, if her muscles were fully operational right now she'd probably shiver. She welcomes the feeling though, it's a change to the warmth she's felt for the last few weeks. Kara has been living in an increasing fear for the last week or so when they gave up on her, she felt abandoned even though she knows it isn't their fault. And now they're going to send her away, to a place that's always silent and always cold, and she won't even make it to Rao since she isn't dead.

There's an echo in the room, footsteps, mutters. She's learned everyone's footsteps by now, she has to in order to recognise who is entering the room without having to hear them speak. This is Maggie, her footsteps sound quiet and light, yet stern, she's heard it with other cops, but Maggie's sound more experienced. She feels the warmth off of Maggie's skin as she nears the side of the pod.

"Kara." She breathes out, no other words spoken with the word. Maggie sighs and Kara feels a surge of energy, adrenaline in one of her arms, her fingers twitching, wanting to move. She takes the sudden energy and thrusts her arm forward, the fingers wrapping around Maggie's wrist in a crushing grip. She's exhausted from the small movement, but it's enough as she hears a scream in surprise and possibly pain, maybe it's too much.

"Maggie?" Kara hears her sister's voice call out.

"Alex!" There's a sound of running, Alex is out of her wheelchair as she freezes.

"Kara?" Kara desperately wishes she could speak now more than ever, all of her energy is gone from the one action that led to what is currently happening.

"Alex, she's hurting my arm." Alex walks over and touches Kara's hand lightly, inspecting the grip.

"This doesn't make any sense." Kara feels her energy fading away as Alex pulls against the grip gently. "She's still cold and has no pulse, how can this happen?" Alex has a hint of hope in her voice which makes Kara's mouth twitch into a small smile. Her strength is failing as her arm grows limp, her fingers loosening around Maggie's wrist, still clinging with all she has. Alex pulls away Kara's hand, her eyes scanning it for a sign of what could've caused this, there's no way her sister is alive. Alex sets her hand down as she looks at Maggie.

"Are you okay?" Maggie nods slightly. "We need to talk to someone." Maggie nods as she and Alex leave Kara and rush down the halls before opening a large door and stepping into an empty room.

"Alura?" Alex calls and the hologram of Kara's mother appears.

"Hello, Alex. How can I help you?" Alex thinks, she's not quite sure how to ask.

"Can Kryptonians appear to be dead, without dying?" There's a pause.

"Yes, Kryptonians evolved after a plague nearly wiped out all Kryptonians from existence. When a Kryptonian falls ill and their immune system is not able to fight it then their bodies will use all their resources to defend the body and will shut down any other functions for the time being. After three months, if the Kryptonian organs do not start up again the immune system will give in and the Kryptonian will die." Alex looks at Maggie with shock and then back to Alura.

"Does the plague still exist?"

"There are certain parasite aliens that carry it and others and will spread it at all cost."

"Is there a way to cure it?" Alura seems troubled by the question.

"Yes, but it is extremely painful for the Kryptonian." Alex grimaces slightly at the thought.

"What's the cure?"

"There's a type of Kryptonite that holds fluid that cures the plague when ingested, the excruciating pain may last a few hours or days." Alex's eyes widen as she clears her throat, Maggie cuts in before her though.

"What type of Kryptonite?"

"Bronze Kryptonite, it's natural form is rare, but it can be made using green Kryptonite. You can find the recipe for it in the fortress archives." Alex nods as she sighs sadly.

"I will go with Clark and get the recipe, you stay with Kara," Maggie says, Alex starting to protest immediately. "No, you need to be here for her if she does wake up on her own, I'll be fine." Alex shuts her mouth and nods.

"Okay." Alex shuts off the hologram as the two women exit.


	10. Final

A/N: Okay, so yeah, as you can tell it's been quite a while and honestly I could give a thousand excuses for why this is so late, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to give you the last chapter of this story, which you so deserve for being so patient with my procrastinating self, so here I give you the final chapter of this story and hope to see you again on more stories to come. Enjoy!

PS. I brought Kelex back because tbh I love him and I hated to see him die.

TW: scars, talk of suicide

Alex quickly rushes down the hall, her girlfriend going the opposite direction to be with her little sister. On the way to the needed location she fishes out the emergency watch Clark gave her after Kara's "passing" so he could help her if she was in trouble. She presses the button, the dim light turning red as the watch sends out a distress signal. Alex pockets the watch once more and stops in front of a heavily secure door. Alex places her hand on the scanner while also looking into the retinal scanner. A few seconds pass before a beep sounds and a small room opens. Alex steps inside and raises her arms straight out as another body scan scans her to confirm her identity. The second door that's hidden from view opens and leads into an even smaller room with a tiny lead box.

Alex grabs the box and uses her thumbprint to open it, a green glow immediately catching her eye as the lid opens and reveals a small chunk of green kryptonite. She secures the lid back onto the box as she hears the sound of wind rushing and sees a flash of red and blue before Superman is standing in front of her.

"Alex! Your alarm went off, what's wrong?" Clark asks, looking around in confusion.

"I need you to take me to the fortress of solitude!" Clark's brows furrow (the same crinkle he shares with his cousin appears) as he looks at the box Alex is carrying.

"What's going on?"

"Kara's not dead, she contracted an old plague from Krypton and her body is just trying to defend itself. We can make a cure using a recipe in the fortress, but we have to use… this." Alex explains, looking down at the container guiltily. Clark's face shows a sudden understanding as he nods, clearly wanting to ask questions, but staying silent for now.

"You should get on warmer clothing especially because of the..." He pauses, looking at Alex's thin bare shoulders. She had gained a small bit of the weight back, but she still looked very different from how she did before all of this chaos. Alex nods in understanding as she walks out of the room, the security doors closing and scans resetting. Alex looks at Clark.

"Mind giving me a lift to my apartment?" Clark smiles and lifts her, before shooting out of the building, landing at her apartment minutes later. Once on the ground, Alex adjusts herself and smirks.

"Everyone's right. You're much slower than Kara." Clark scoffs, before chuckling slightly.

"And to think, I have more experience with all of this than her." Alex starts rummaging through her closet before she pulls out a black parka.

"I guess she must be born with it then," Alex responds, putting the parka on and zipping it up.

"Ready to go?" Alex nods as Clark lifts her up again, shooting off into the sky once more. It takes them about ten minutes to get to the fortress (would've taken Kara five) and Alex still manages to shiver as her boots crunch against the snow outside of the fortress entrance. Clark opens the door before they both walk in, Kelex immediately coming over to greet the two of them.

"Hello Kal-El, how may I help you?"

"Kelex, do you have the recipe for the cure to a virus that killed many Kryptonians many years ago?"

"Many years ago Zor-El saved a copy of the cure in these databases, along with instructions on how to form bronze kryptonite using green kryptonite." Kelex informs, Kryptonian letters appearing in front of Clark and Alex.

"You'll have to make the bronze kryptonite. After it's in that form it's harmless to me unless I ingest it." Alex nods, reading some of the Kryptonian writing, surprised by how much she can understand. Clark flies out and returns with some gathered items before handing them to Alex, instructing her on how to make the bronze kryptonite while he keeps his distance from the harmful green rock. Alex mixes the ingredients together, her mind buzzing with curiosity about some of the items, but she refrains from asking any questions right now, she needs to focus on saving Kara, not learning new alien things (although that may be the only thing that came out of this whole incident is she learned something new about Kryptonians). After Alex has finished putting the items together, she looks expectantly at Clark. He walks close and uses his laser vision on the pile of ingredients, watching as they solidify and rise, shining a dull gold colour as they form bronze kryptonite.

His eyes return normal, his hand reaching out hesitantly as he picks up the perfectly formed crystal of bronze kryptonite.

"Once we get back you have to break that open and force her to ingest the liquid as fast as possible." Clark looks at Alex with worry and confusion.

"Isn't that the only way this form of kryptonite can harm us? That'll hurt her." Clark looks back at Kelex. "How do we use the bronze kryptonite to heal Kara?"

"She must ingest the liquids inside the kryptonite before they solidify back into a harmful green kryptonite." Kelex replies.

"And what if it solidifies while she's ingesting it?" Clark asks with concern.

"You can use heat vision and hope what's left of the cure will help or remove the green kryptonite another way and start over with more bronze kryptonite. There is a 30% survival rate if the kryptonite solidifies and a 60% chance of it working if it doesn't." Alex's eyebrows raise.

"Wait, so this might not even work even if there are no complications?" Alex yells in frustration.

"Some Kryptonians bodies will see the bronze kryptonite as another threat instead of a cure and will end up attacking itself. Other Kryptonians don't survive the pain that comes with the healing process." Alex huffs as she leans against a snow platform, her palms digging into the freezing snow.

"So if you add it all up, there's a bigger chance of her dying from this, painfully, than if we just let her body try to fight the virus off itself." Alex pauses before she laughs, her body leaning forward as the laugh cuts off and turns into an angry yell. Her fists raise and hit against the snow platform, leaving small imprints in the loose snow. She hits it again, more towards the edge this time, leaving nothing, but imprints. A third time, a fourth, a fifth, finally a corner comes loose and slides off the platform and into a pile of snow that's enveloped her feet. Alex tries to hit again, but stops, letting her fists unclench and fall to her side.

"I don't know what to do." She admits, Clark nods in understanding. Alex nods back as she reaches into her pocket to get her cell. She opens the phone and clicks the speed dial for Maggie, before putting the phone up to her ear.

"Hey, sweetheart, I'm going to need you to get everyone to the DEO. We have something big to decide and it's best if everyone can help with the decision making. I'm on my way back. Love you. Bye." She hangs up and places the phone back into her pocket. Grabbing the bronze kryptonite, she prepares for flight once again.

#############################

Alex and Clark walk in fifteen minutes after Maggie had called everyone to gather like they had done so many times before. Cat is standing over Kara, talking about something, but there's definitely a change in her that tells Alex that she knows Kara is alive. James and Winn are more off to the side, talking excitedly, clearly having made up after the whole keeping secrets scenario. Maggie is sitting next to Kara on the opposite side of Cat, whispering things to her as well until she notices her brunette lover walking in. Everyone else notices and silences, getting in a tighter circle as they await news. Alex suddenly feels awkward and nervous, everyone here looks so happy and excited and she's about to give them more bad news. She clears her throat and breathes deeply before starting to explain the situation.

"I'm glad you all came. Maggie may have already told you this, but Kara isn't dead, she's been infected with an ancient Kryptonian plague that caused her body to shut down so her immune system can focus only on the plague and defeating it. From the hologram of Kara's mom we managed to find a cure, but it's risky. So we have to decide if we want to give her the cure and hope for the best or to see if her body can fight the virus on its own." Alex breathes in deeply as the happy faces drop slightly.

"What do you mean by risky? What are the risks?" Cat asks.

"Since this isn't natural bronze kryptonite, it can solidify into green kryptonite if she doesn't ingest it quickly enough. There's only a 30% chance of survival if that happens. Even if she does swallow the cure correctly there's a 60% chance it works, and if she's too weak she'll die from the pain of it." Alex explains the last part with grief. Suddenly everyone turns their heads to the sound of the elevator opening as Eliza walks out and towards Alex, her arms open as the women embrace. From over her mom's shoulder, Alex looks over to Maggie who nods.

"I was nearby when Maggie called me, I came as fast as I could," Eliza explains and Alex looks at her in confusion.

"Why didn't you call if you were nearby?"

"I just got in a few days ago and I did try to call, but no one would answer." Alex's face pales as she glances down at her bandage that's still wrapped around her arm. Maggie also looks down guiltily, realising she also didn't inform her girlfriend's mother.

"Alex, what happened to you?" Eliza asks, looking at her daughter's thin figure and guilty expression. She pulls her mother aside and ushers her into an empty room, closing the door behind her. Her lip trembles and she bites down on it before she sniffles and tears roll down her cheeks.

"Alex." Eliza takes her thumb and brushes away the tears before pulling Alex into another hug, this one tighter and more comforting than just a greeting hug.

"I did something really bad mom. I messed up, and I did everything wrong." Alex sobs into her mother's shoulder.

"Alex, sweetie. What did you do?" Eliza pushes gently while comforting her oldest daughter.

"At first I just didn't care, I didn't care what happened to me, so I just stopped. Mom, I didn't mean for it to go this far, I'm sorry!" Eliza rubs soothing circles on Alex's back when she suddenly realises how much weight she had lost. Her eyes stare at the bandage as it all suddenly clicks.

"I just couldn't handle it anymore, it was hurting so badly, and I wasn't thinking, I just wanted her back, I just wanted to see her." She sniffles out as the feeling of dread fills Eliza.

"Can you take the bandage off, Alex?" Alex quickly shakes her head, she hasn't removed the bandage for days now. "Please, sweetie. You won't even have to look at it. I just need to see, okay?" Alex hesitates before she starts unraveling the gauze. Eliza takes ahold of it and unravels it the rest of the way, she covers her mouth before prodding at the giant scar on Alex's wrist and forearm. Alex suddenly feels defensive as she pulls her arm away quickly and glances at the scar. She gasps and stares at it, her eyes wandering up and down over and over again. She takes a deep breath before dropping her arm and searching for more gauze to cover it with.

"Honey, you don't need to cover it."

"I do, Mom, I don't like seeing it. I don't want Maggie or Cat to see it." Alex grabs a roll off a shelf before it slips and falls to the ground. Eliza reaches down and picks it up, before looking at her daughter again.

"They love you, they won't judge you for it, Alex. You can't hide it forever." Alex glances back over at the roll of gauze before closing her eyes and breathing deeply several times. Slowly, she nods, her eyes still closed as she let's the scarred arm fall to her side.

"Let's get back out there with the others, okay?" Alex nods as she follows her mother out of the room and back out in front of everyone else.

"We were talking, Alex, while you were gone," Cat starts saying, "and we think we should try the cure." Alex nods and looks at Clark who nods in agreement.

"Okay, let's do this then." Winn looks frightened suddenly.

"Wait you mean now?" Winn asks.

"Yes, I mean now." Winn just nods as Clark and Alex walk over to Kara. "J'onn I need you to lift her out and take her to one of the medical beds." J'onn nods as he lift's Kara up, his face grimacing slightly as he sees how limp she is. He walks over to the med bay and sets her down on one of the sterilized mattresses.

"I need you to hold her shoulders down, and James I need you to hold her legs down." Both men follow directions as they pin Kara's limbs down. Alex takes a deep shuddering breath as she looks at Clark. Clark lifts up the bronze crystal and with his super strength, snaps the top of it off, a strong chemical smell filling the room. Alex quickly grabs the crystal and pours the liquid down the back of Kara's throat, before stepping back, waiting. Nothing happens, Alex takes a light and opens Kara's mouth, looking to see if it solidified. It didn't, nothing was happening still. Suddenly, she hears gasping, and Kara's moving all over the place, catching James and J'onn off guard. Alex watches as Kara opens her eyes, hears the loud quick gasps as her lungs try to work properly once again. Her muscles spasm and her eyes move everywhere, not looking at anything in particular. Alex freezes, unsure of what to do, she just stands there watching her sister struggle.

Fifteen minutes pass and nothing changes, J'onn and James look at Alex desperately.

"How long is this supposed to last?" James yells over the loud noises coming from Kara.

"Hours or days, I'm not sure how much for her," Alex responds, her eyes on her sister, her face showing fear.

"We can't keep holding her like this Alex, we need to restrain her some other way," J'onn says as Alex nods, she looks at Clark who already has disappeared to look for something. A few minutes pass and Kara's gasping pauses, her muscles stop moving as she falls back against the mattress. Her eyes stare at the ceiling before she suddenly starts screaming, her body trembles intensely as Clark walks back in with gold coloured restraints. Quickly, he approaches Kara and attaches the shackles (for lack of a better description) to Kara's wrists and ankles, before attaching them to the bed. Alex walks over to Kara, pain clear on her features as she sits next to her sister, whispering things in Kryptonian, comforting things, things that may help ease the pain somehow.

After five hours, Kara goes silent, her body twitches slightly before also coming to a halt in movement. Her eyes shut and she looks peaceful. Alex watches her sister breathe for a few minutes before she lets out a laugh of relief. The others were outside, the only people in the room being Maggie, Alex, and Eliza. Alex stands, walking out towards the others, Maggie following close behind. As she approaches, the others turn to face Alex, their faces filled with worry. Alex sniffles and wipes away the tears that formed, everyone's faces drop and fill with grief. Alex shakes her head quickly and shakes her hand dismissively.

"Sorry, sorry, she's fine, I'm just...relieved," she explains and everyone sighs in unison, relief now showing instead of worry. Alex smiles slightly as Maggie kisses her cheek. It was finally all over.

#########################

Kara opens her eyes and looks over at Alex, a smile spreading across her face as she reaches an arm towards her. Alex looks up and smiles back, her hand gripping the blonde's outstretched fingers.

"I knew you'd figure it out. I got scared when I thought you gave up on me," Kara says, squeezing her sister's hand. Kara looks at the hand in almost shock as she squeezes again.

"Alex, what all happened when I was gone?" Kara's eyes scan her sister, noticing all the changes and the giant scar on her arm. She already can tell what it's from, the old conversation playing in her head.

"We have a lot to catch up on, and I'm doing much better since you're here," Alex says sincerely, "But there are some people who want to welcome you back." Alex looks at the clear glass door and the small crowd of people by it. Kara just nods as Alex stands and opens the door, everyone streaming in and standing around Kara. Kara's eyes widen as she notices both Cat and Lena there.

"So you both know now," Kara says, awkwardly.

"I already knew, I just needed evidence. The hand fracture was proof enough for me though." Cat jokes, Kara looks away guiltily. "Kara, I'm fine, you were sick. As long as you don't pull that dying stunt ever again, there's no reason to feel guilty." Kara nods.

"I started to feel something was off with all the Kara Danvers and Supergirl convenient night outs when I happen to be in trouble," Lena explains, Kara shrugging. "Also, you "flew here on a bus" doesn't sound very convincing either." Alex gives Kara a weird look as Kara overdramatically shrugs again.

"We're just glad you're okay," Winn speaks up, stopping all the awkward conversations. Everyone verbally agrees as Kara just smiles at them all. She turns her head towards her sister and Maggie.

"When can I go home? I've been in a pod for like a month." Alex chuckles and sighs.

"Knowing you will do anything (probably) to get out of here, I will talk to J'onn about you staying with me and Maggie for a while," Kara smiles excitedly, "But, for now, you have to stay here so we can make sure you're okay." Kara looks as if she's about to retort before Alex uses her "big sister stare" and she just nods in agreement.

"I think for now you should get some more rest," Alex says, everyone else agreeing and nodding their heads. All of Kara's friends say their farewells and wish Kara a quick recovery as they head out of the room, leaving only Alex and Maggie once again.

Kara shifts around on the bed uncomfortably, Alex looking up at her in confusion.

"What?" Alex asks.

"I've basically been asleep for like a month, I'm not tired," Kara complains. Alex rolls her eyes and Maggie chuckles as Alex stands, climbing onto the bed with Kara and letting her younger sister snuggle in closer to her, her eyes closing slightly as she breathes in the scent of her sister.

"I missed you," Kara says, sleepily.

"I missed you too."

"I love you." Alex smiles as Kara's body is being taken by exhaustion.

"I love you too, Kara."

A/N: Thank you so much for being patient with me and thank you for reading!


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